Austro-Hungarian Raids on the Otranto Barrage

The following table summarises those raids by the Austro-Hungarian fleet against the "Otranto
Barrage" - a line of nets, drifters and trawlers intended to stop the transit of u-boats from the
Adriatic into the Mediterranean. This page was originally based on:

However, noted author Erwin Sieche (erwin.sieche@sbausparkasse.co.at) has pointed out that
these sources (now some 25+ years old) are out of date. He has been kind enough to supply the
information below.

The following is a computer aided index of all raids to the Otranto barrage undertaken by AH
naval forces. Most raids were in full moon and calm weather periods, the forces started in the
evening from Sebenico or Cattaro and returned at noon the following day. There were few real
contacts and only three or four major engagements occurred. These raids were done by the three
cruisers of the improved type Admiral Spaun, the Helgoland, Novara and Saida and the six
modern Tátra class destroyers which formed the I. Torpedoflotilla.

Click here for information on the
Battle of the Otranto Straits, 15 May 1917.

The last attack on the Otranto barrage was planned by Horthy to be done with the three scout
cruisers as spearhead and the whole operational battle fleet as back up to lure the Allied into a
deadly trap if they chased the retreating cruisers. The whole complex story of this abortive sortie
and the fatal sinking of the Szent István has been described by me in Warship International #
2/1991, SZENT ISTVÁN, Hungary's only and ill-fated dreadnought.

Sources:

Official war log of the A.-H cruiser flotilla [k.u.k. Kreuzerflottille], IWM, London

attack on the Otranto
barrage, in which 14
trawlers were sunk;
follows the battle of the
Otranto Straits with
Bristol, Dartmouth and
Marsala; both groups
returned damaged, the
action remained indecisive